Broadchurch Series 2 (open spoilers)

Cafe Society
1

Well, they renewed Broadchurch which, from searching, got some discussion around here. (Mostly due to Gracepoint I guess). It’s premiering on Sunday the 5th on ITV, though I don’t know about other scheduling (how often episodes will be released, what time it airs). It is available for streaming on ITV’s website as long as you can provide a valid UK postal code.

For those that don’t know, Broadchurch is, roughly, a serialized interpersonal drama with a (vaguely) ensemble cast about a town, Broadchurch, reacting to the tragedy of the murder of a young boy. While on the surface it’s wrapped up in a sort of “crime drama” framework, the way the tragedy shakes up the town, and the relationships between characters are by far the focus. It’s not a “crime show” that focuses on detective work, and certainly not something that provides clues for you to puzzle out ahead of time.

The previous season saw the resolution of the detective plot, so if you want to see that unspoiled (your probably do), go seek it out. It’s on Netflix now. The next season will almost certainly rely on you knowing what happened last season.

Very spoiler-free details on the new season, but just in case you want to hit up S2E1 with NO idea what you’re getting into, I boxed it:

Apparently this season they’re still focusing on Broadchurch and its residents, but are not introducing a new big crime to solve. Driving home that this is a drama and not, well, a detective show. Alec Hardy ([del]that bloke with a Blue Box[/del] David Tennant) and Ellie Miller ([del]Julie from Numberwang[/del] Olivia Coleman) will still be focal characters, but given they’re cops we’ll see whether the “no framing crime” thing really pans out that way. I’m interested to see how they move the plot along without the investigation.

I have no idea how big an audience this will have so I figure we can move to weekly threads if it blows up, but I doubt it.

The rules are open spoilers for anything that’s happened in an already aired episode (including next episode previews, if applicable), boxed spoilers for anything you find out about from external sources.

2

I hope you post after watching the premiere. One of the things I liked about it was having the whole story arc resolved over a short season. I’m rather surprised to see a second season because…

Wasn’t Tennant’s character bounced from the cops due to his heart problem? It also seems unlikely that Colman’s character would return to policing after her husband was arrested for the most notorious murder in the town’s history. Didn’t they joke at some point in season one about opening a detective agency together?

3

the first series/season was one of those carefully crafted dramas that led you from one week to the next. Consequently, there was a lot of discussion and anticipation during the week, at least in the UK.

The main character is, of course, the town, and the cleverness seemed to be in the various rates different characters unfolded; those character arcs were very thoughtfully paced.

Broadchurch was also very smart on media intrusion (at a variety of levels) and very good on locals vs. outsiders. The acting was pretty stunning at times - by all four leads.

Not sure how much of that can be recreatedL Chris Chibnall is def capable of the highest quality …

4

The first series of Broadchurch was so well done, and so “complete” in its storytelling, that I am not sure how a second series will go. But I will definitely be finding it and watching it.

Slightly off topic–I am watching “35 Diwrnod” (“35 Days”). Welsh, with English subtitles. I’m only on episode three, but finding it very good, and has the same slower pace than American crime drama does. It’s kind of “if you liked Broadchurch, you might like this”, so I thought I’d throw it out there!

5

S2E1 - it, erm, switched genres …

You have to say it’s an intruiging set up.

I doubt it can be of the same quality as S1 but … I’m in! :slight_smile:

6

Well this is the most dissonant pieces of TV I’ve ever seen.

I don’t mean tonally, tonally it’s consistent. I mean in craftsmanship. The acting, cinematography, and directing are superb. Almost without equal. And yet, among all that, the writing somehow became complete trash. Look I’m willing to accept taking poetic liberties with any legal system for drama, but there becomes a point where it’s stupid. Broadchurch hit that point so fast and hard it kept sliding until it fell off a cliff and landed next to Danny Latimer.

I’m still going to watch it, partially in the hopes they can somehow salvage this, but christ…

7

I’m avoiding series 2 spoilers right now, but I am curious about 1 question.

Did they decide to have a central murder mystery? If not, do they at least have one central mystery that the two leads are working on solving? I had heard they were going to avoid this, which seemed odd since the show was a murder mystery show.

8

No, the second season revolves around Joe’s trial, though Hardy is working on solving Sandbrook (his big case before Broadchurch) once and for all.

9

Good one. :smiley:

10

Is it anything like Twin Peaks? Because this sounds like Twin Peaks. Also, is this the one with David Tennant, or the one with the 9th doctor?

11

Nothing like Twin Peaks, in my opinion. It’s a well-done drama. Nothing groundbreaking or quirky or really spooky about it.

12

I’ve been watching it via TunnelBear and it’s sad to see it is devolving from the excellence of series one. It’s now more like how Downton Abbey started out: great production values, scenery/costumes, great acting and horribly disappointing writing. Lots of legal procedural quibbles, weird pacing, characters doing unbelievable things. I guess Chibnall couldn’t say no when they offered a second series, but boy does it seem hastily cobbled together.

And yet, like Downton, still worth watching for the snark in the comments with each Guardian recap. I think it’s time to give up on overall excellence and embrace what’s good while enjoying the mockery.

At least there’s still Wolf Hall to look forward to. It’s wonderful to be able to experience Mark Rylance, since I never could see him in the theater. I can’t wait to see episode two on catch-up tonight.

13

Agree, I couldn’t believe it was the same writer.

for me, Wolf Hall is the new Broadchurch, couldn’t be more different though, if anything, it’s the more impressive work: I’m totally mesmerised.

14

I don’t live far from the Globe and saw him occasionally during his 10 years there.

It never struck me he’d largely avoided tv. It somehow makes Wolf Hall more wonderful. He is quite perfect.

15

There was a moment in the first episode, a tight close-up of his face, and his eyes and especially his eyebrows looked EXACTLY like a gaunt Peter Falk. This is kinda hard to unsee now, but at least Falk was an actor of some skill and subtlety.

16

Well, I’ll admit that they successfully manipulated my emotions at the end. I’m not sure how satisfied I really am with the ending for Joe and the rest of them, but I accept it and am at least relieved the people of Broadchurch can move on.

I think that Joe would likely be found guilty in the real world, though perhaps the delay between seasons has made me forget all the evidence. I think the jurors would believe Hardy about how Joe confessed.

Anyway, it was an OK season and I do hope they make the third series for next year.

Anyone else have thoughts now that it is over?

17

I thought the season was good because they did a good job making each episode intense.

I think I coulda done without the case of the dead girls and all those dopes associated with it. But I guess they had to have something else going on.

The ending felt pretty contrived but I’m not unsatisfied. Just like “uh, well ok that all worked well.”

I’d watch a third series.

18

I’m in for the 3rd season for Olivia Coleman and because I hope the 2nd season was some sort of bridge that was necessary for convoluted plot reasons.

But the 2nd season was baaad. Didn’t care about the Sandbrook side, Claire was whinging annoyance, the husband was a moron. The trial was just a shouting match at which no evidence was presented.

The only scene that rang true, that was worthy of Season 1, was the one in which Olivia Coleman yelled at her son to come home.

The final episode wrapped it up, with the whole town coming together again and that echoed the end of season 1.

You just know that Season 3 will concern the defense barrister’s incarcerated son’s retrial. How that will work with Broadchurch the town, I don’t know.